The time is ripe for Cornelius - The English Assassin!

Cometh the hour, Cometh the man. The time is a ripe for a change of leadership in Barnet Council. Before we examine who might be a credible candidate, lets have a little discussion about what happens when politicians lack courage.

If you are a Tory in Barnet, I have a question to pose for you. Why do you think that the Tories have been in opposition for so long nationally? You may have your view, but to me the answer is simple. They collectively lost their bottle. When they decided to give Maggie the chop, they had a choice between Michael Heseltine or John Major. One was charismatic, well known & poular nationally. The other was, well the other bloke. The other bloke won. Not because anyone thought he'd do a good job, but because he wasn't Heseltine. In an act of hypocritical cowardice, the same MP's who secretly whispered that Maggie must go, refused to back the knifeman, Heseltine. In came the weak and decisive Major. Luckily for Major, his first election was against Neil Kinnock. As Major was relatively unknown and the British public had already decided they'd never elect Kinnock, Major scraped in. Then his luck ran out. First John Smith stepped up. He used to use PMQ's as a bit of kebabing practise. Then there was "black monday" where the Major government decisively proved it couldn't run a Whelk stall. Then Smith unexpectedly died & Blair stepped up. He added a bit of youthful vigour to the weekly Kebabings. In 1997 the Tories were washed away.

I've always wondered what would have happened had Heseltine won? As he showed in Liverpool after the riots, he understood the problems and would splash the cash to solve them. He was couragous and a good commons performer. But for the lack of Tory bottle it might all have turned out different. Whatever would have happened, I don't believe the Tories would have been decimated in the way they were in 1997. I suspect they'd probably have lost, but without the huge landslide. I'm a Labour supporter, but I think huge majorities and demoralised oppositions make for poor governance. I think we'd have got a better Labour government. One which would have listened.

Anyway, I merely mention all of this to show what happens when politicians lack the cojones to do the sensible thing. What has this to do with Mr Cornelius in Barnet? Well he is the most credible Tory candidate to mount a leadership bid against the disasterous Freer/Hillan regime. He gives off the air of a man who knows what he's doing. Freer and Hillan know this and have been acting accordingly. The point is that politics are changing. There has been a massive sea change in the opinions of voters and the major parties will be punished. Fiasco's such as Iceland, Sheltered Housing Warden Cuts, Aerodrome Road overspend, TV's for Council officers, increased burial charges, etc may have been forgiven by loyal Tories before. As people find out about the huge allowances that go with Cabinet jobs, as they hear that Political Advisers to the cabinet get £60,000 a year, as they hear about officer junkets to the south of France for £5,000, they ask questions such as "why are they doubling the rent for Mill Hill Village Sports club, when they can afford all of this"?

Freer doesn't get it. Hillan Doesn't get it. I've heard through the grapevine that Cornelius does. Because he might, just might, rattle a few vested interests, there has been a concerted campaign to nobble him. If Richard Cornelius took over, he could quite easily solve all of these problems. Give the Officers Plasma Screen tellies to the local OAP's homes. Cancel all junkets. Sack the political officers. With the saved cash reverse the burial charges and reduce the Mill Hill Village cricket club rent. If he needs advice from a political advisor, ring David Miller at Not the Barnet Times. He'll tell him how to be a proper Tory free of charge.

Reports are reaching the Barnet Eye, that senior Tory Cabinet members have taken to emailing their colleagues, telling them how to do their job. Apparently these emails have not been well received and resentment and rebellion are brewing in even the most mild mannered of the Tories. The time has come for a Brutus in Barnet to start sharpening the knife. Maybe Richard Cornelius is the man to step up and claim the prize.

As an aside, I've always taken an interest in Richard Cornelius for the strangest of reasons. My Favourite Sci Fi author is Michael Moorcock. Amongst his many great books is one called "The English Assassin" featuring a character caller "Jerry Cornelius". He is described as follows in Wikipedia "Jerry Cornelius, secret agent, superhero, adventurer, all things to all men (and women). A figure of almost complete anarchy. Typically destroys repressive authority."

Barnet's Richard Cornelius came to promenance for a campaign to save a local library. Jerry Cornelius was noted for his favourite hobby of burning libraries down. The novel offers eight alternative catastrophes in a world of chaos and barbarous collapse. Jerry Cornelius is an agent of chaos, destruction and change.

I'm rather hoping that in the alternate world of Barnet, maybe Richard Cornelius, The Barnet Assassin, may be quite the opposite and save our finances, libararies and tax bills !